Columbo's Big Break
by Mikoto Hakuryu
Summary: Comet Has Been Kidnapped And Now It's Up To Shorty, Kitty-N, And Heat To Save Her!


Columbo's Big Break  
  
  
  
Shorty was dancing to her BAG2 song, when she heard a knock at the door, it was Kitty-N.  
  
"Wanna go to Sushi Planet, I'm starving." Kitty-N asked  
  
"Sure!" Shorty said cheerfully. Shorty grabbed Columbo, walked out the door and started walking down the street with Kitty-N.  
  
"What ever happened to Frida?" Kitty-N started a conversation.  
  
"She went to Europe to pursue her artistic talent or at least that's what she told me." Shorty explained  
  
"I miss Frida." Kitty-N Said with a frown on her face.  
  
"So do I."  
  
When they arrived at Sushi Planet, they noticed that Comet wasn't there. Comet never misses a day of work in any of her twelve part-time jobs. They got suspicious.  
  
"Where's Comet?" Shorty Asked Sushi Boy.  
  
"I was just about to ask you the same thing, I thought you might know. She hasn't been to work for three days now."  
  
"Maybe she went to go visit Frida." Kitty-N Explained  
  
"I don't know, Comet would never leave without telling anyone"  
  
"Yeah your right, she wouldn't"  
  
"I hope she turns up some time soon, I'm really worried." Shorty thought to herself. They ordered some sushi and went to go sit down. Hamm was there, of course scarfing down on his usual five course meals.  
  
While discussing what they have done in the last week they saw a tall, skinny, mysterious character through the window. The mysterious character was carrying a bag with something moving in it. They decided to go investigate. They followed the mysterious character into the slums and outskirts of Tokyo. Finally the mysterious character couldn't hold whatever was in the bag any longer and accidentally dropped it, Comet came crawling out of the bag. Shorty and Kitty-N were shocked to find Comet here.  
  
"What are you doing with Comet" Shorty screamed out, startling the mysterious character.  
  
"Who are you!?" The mysterious character Asked.  
  
"Who are you!?" Shorty countered.  
  
"I asked you first!" the mysterious character complained. After what seemed like forever of asking and complaining back and forth, Kitty-N and Comet stopped them.  
  
"Okay fine," The mysterious character ripped off her black clothing. "I'm Pinky Diamond, Contract killer! And You!?"  
  
"Shorty, missing peoples investigator!"  
  
"Shorty!" Kitty-N and Comet sighed.  
  
"You're gonna kill Comet, but why?, who hired you!?" Kitty-N shouted.  
  
"Well I guess now I'm gonna have to kill two other girls too, Strike did, from the gangster band, Notorious."  
  
"Never heard of 'em"  
  
"Well they want to take over society and they came to me to see if they could achieve in, I'm also a tarot card reader, I told them that one person could and would stand in their way, Comet. Then I told them that I was also a contract killer and with the price they offered me how could I refuse. Now that you both know everything I'll have to kill you two also."  
  
"Well, we won't let you kill Comet, even if it takes our lives! God, we're saying, "well" a lot aren't we."  
  
"Shorty!" Kitty-N and Comet sighed once again.  
  
"That's fine, see if I care, have a good night." And just like in a puff of smoke, Pinky and Comet were gone.  
  
"What happened, where did they disappear to?" Kitty-N asked.  
  
"I dunno, but we gotta find them.  
  
"Yeah, your right, but we don't even know who or what "Notorious" is or does and we have no clue where they could possibly be.  
  
________________________________________________________________________  
  
The Next day Shorty And Kitty-N went out to investigate the local gangs. First they went to the "Grenades." They're obsessed with bombs and such. They keep threatening Tokyo, but no one takes them seriously. After a while of compromising they still wouldn't tell Shorty and Kitty-N anything, Shorty just got so annoyed and just pummeled all them, "Now are you gonna tell us where we can find them or will I have to knock you straight into last week!?" Shorty threatened. Finally they confessed.  
  
"You can find them in the back alley of Eumatsu road." A thug confessed. Shorty then pummeled him for not telling them sooner and ran off to … where else, Eumatsu's back alley.  
  
________________________________________________________________________  
  
Just like the "Grenades" said, the gang "Notorious" was there, along with Strike. As soon as Shorty saw them, she was just gonna go all up nuclear on them, too bad Kitty-N stopped her.  
  
"What are you guys planning on doing!?, why do you want to kill Comet!?", and where is she!?," Kitty-N complained.  
  
"Haven't you figured out yet, don't you know anything 'bout us!?", Strike asked.  
  
"Uhhhhh …… No!?, duh, why else would we ask!?  
  
:: Notorious falls flat on their faces and sighs ::  
  
" We want to take over society, Tokyo, and we probably can, there is just one person who can really stand in our way, Comet. She is just too good and perfect. Think about it. She has 12 part-time jobs and she donates all the money she gets from those 12 part-time jobs, to charities hopping to save endangered animals." Strike explained.  
  
"She does sound a bit "Goodie-Goodie," now that you put it THAT way." replied Kitty-N.  
  
"We've all been falsely accused of crimes we didn't commit and now we're hoping to get them back for it all," a Notorious thug confessed.  
  
:: Rrriiiiiiinnnggg Rrriiiiiiinnnggg :: Strike's cell-phone, he turned around and answer it. Shorty and Kitty-N were just confused, apparently they didn't take them too seriously, why else would he turn his back on them.  
  
"Yeah" Strike responded. It was the "Grenades." They called to warn them about Shorty and Kitty-N. The leader of the "Grenades" said that they sent someone over with a smoke bomb, just in case they needed to make a quick get-away.  
  
"Thanks! Tell him to go with it, we'll be ready." Strike thankfully said.  
  
"Hello!?" Shorty and Kitty-N ask anxiously, thinking to themselves, "by the way were still here!"  
  
"Oh, sorry, forgot?" Strike said forgetfully. :: Shorty, Kitty-N, and All of Strike's thugs fell flat on their faces, sighing ::  
  
"Now that you're done with your little spasm … " and Shorty was interrupted by a big flash of smoke. And they were gone, once again.  
  
"Aren't we having a great time," Kitty-N explained. "First we find out Comet is missing, then we find out that she has been kidnapped, and now we have some loser gang try to take over Tokyo."  
  
"So what do we do!?" Shorty confusingly asked.  
  
"Lets sleep on it." Kitty-N suggested.  
  
"Wanna sleep over!?" Shorty asked.  
  
"Your parents don't mind!?" Kitty-N curiously asked.  
  
"I dunno, but its not like they're ever home anyway," Shorty said frowning. "My mom's a supermodel and my dad is now a diplomatic father, he used to be a DJ, 'member!?  
  
"Yeah, Lucky you, I only have normal, everyday parents. Kitty-N said while thinking to herself, why couldn't I have awesome parents!  
  
"At least your parents notice you" Shorty said angrily thinking 'bout how many promises her parents had broken. "The best thing they ever gave me was Columbo, not that I'm complaining, I wouldn't give up Columbo for anything!"  
  
"Your parents know your there, they're just really busy that's all." Kitty-N said comfortingly  
  
"Maybe your right, I'm just really worried about Comet, what if we can't stop Pinky and Strike in time, what if Comet's already dead!?" Shorty yelled, busting into tears.  
  
"What if she's not dead!? Look, tomorrow, we'll go back to the alley and find Strike and his gang, and we'll make him tell us where Comet is, Its time for me to start acting like the hero I once was." Kitty-N said, confidently.  
  
"That makes me feel a lot better, you're sleeping over, right!?" Shorty anxiously asked.  
  
"Yeah, Sure we'll probably be a lot safer together after Pinky's threat." Kitty-N reminding Shorty.  
  
"Oh yeah, I forgot all about that." Said Shorty, while looking around cautiously, "Come on lets go to my house!"  
  
________________________________________________________________________  
  
The next day, Shorty and Kitty-N were getting ready to go to the back alley of Eumatsu. They were getting dressed in the usual outfits. Shorty in her overalls, extra long sleeve shirt, and Columbo sitting on her head. And Kitty-N in her robotic suit, platform shoes, and kitty helmet.  
  
On the way back to the alley, they ran into heat. "Have either of you fine ladies seen Comet?" Heat asked  
  
"She's been kidnapped!" Kitty-N said, with her head facing downwards.  
  
"What!?" Heat asked confusingly  
  
"Comet's been kidnapped!" Kitty-N yelled  
  
"By who!?" asked Heat as confused as ever.  
  
"Pinky a contract killer, hired by Strike and his gang notorious."  
  
"She's gonna DIE!?" Heat asked with his confused and now dazed face.  
  
"GOD your slow today Heat. Shorty mumbled quietly, "YES! That's what she pretty much meant!," Yelled Shorty. "Sorry I'm just a bit stressed out with all this happening."  
  
"It's okay, I understand, now where are you two goin'!?"  
  
"We're goin' to the back alley of Eumatsu road, to find Strike and his gang, and we'll MAKE him tell us where Comet is, "Shorty explained calmly.  
  
"Okay, I'm coming with you two!" Heat demanded.  
  
"Fine, we'll probably be better of that way anyway." Kitty-N answered  
  
On their way to find Strike, they thought about everything they used to do with Comet. What if they can't stop Strike and Pinky in time?  
  
________________________________________________________________________  
  
When they got to the alley, no one was there. They looked around for anybody, anything. The alley seemed like it had been deserted for years.  
  
Shorty was looking around, screaming "Where are you Strike?," come out now before I beat in your face or what I think is your face, hehe."  
  
Heat was lighting up dark corners with his flaming abilities. Kitty-N was just trying to calmly search but both Shorty and Heat could tell she was really worried.  
  
Just as they were about to give up and leave to go find Pinky's Shop, Pinky's Tarot Card Readings thinking maybe they could find her there, Strike and his gang came around the corner, "What do you want!?" Mitsuki, one of Strike's gang members, yelled.  
  
"We're here to take back Comet." Kitty-N yelled forcefully.  
  
"And we're not goin' to leave without her." Heat Demanded.  
  
"Look, where not telling you where she is, so you might as well leave." Hayato said, trying to sound convincing.  
  
"Were not leaving without Comet!" Shorty yelled  
  
"Fine, lets make a deal." Strike suggested with a slight grin on his face, "Aren't we supposed to be the greatest dancing team in Tokyo?, or at least we were in jail. If you beat us in a dancing contest, we'll tell you where Comet is. You four, against the four of us. You four against Mitsuki, Hayato, Isashi, and me!"  
  
"What four!?, there's only three of us!" Shorty screamed, aggravated.  
  
"Small and shrimpy." Mitsuki said.  
  
"My name's Shorty!" Shorty pouted.  
  
"Flame dork" Hayato added.  
  
"HEAT!" Heat screamed as he engulfed himself into flames.  
  
"Cat woman, over there" Isashi pointed.  
  
"Kitty Nakajima, Kitty-N!" she said with a very annoyed look on her face. "I hate that name," she whispered to herself.  
  
"And …… who's the fourth?" Shorty asked  
  
"Your Mouse." Strike said grinning.  
  
"Columbo!?" Kitty-N asked, "Can he dance!?"  
  
" 'Course he can't!, he's a mouse!" Heat yelled. As soon as he finished, Shorty came over and mega punched Heat right in his stomach. Heat unable to breathe whispered, "Sorry"  
  
"Fine, deal, You four against us four!" Shorty agreed.  
  
"WHAT!?" Kitty-N and Heat screamed.  
  
"Don't worry" Shorty whispered.  
  
"But … " Heat started. Shorty just glared at him for a second, " Sorry" he said quickly.  
  
"Okay, here are the rules," Strike said, confidently, "four songs, two songs for your team and two songs for mine, four peoples on each team, Shorty against Mitsuki, Heat against Daisuke, Kitty-N against Hisashi, and Me against the rat"  
  
"MOUSE!" Shorty yelled.  
  
"Yeah, sure, whatever, got any songs to dance to?" Strike asked  
  
Heat and Kitty-N looked at each other, and both said, "No." They both looked at Shorty.  
  
"I do." Shorty said suspiciously.  
  
"You do, why would you be carrying around music!?" Heat asked  
  
"Just in case?" Shorty answered.  
  
"I only have "SHORTY and the EZMOUSE" and "Happy Heart In The Sunshine" me and Columbo we'll dance to those songs."  
  
"Okay everything is ready, except one thing." Strike announced. :: Strike claps his hands :: The Ground collapses and everyone falls into a jail-like dancing stage with jail cells all around the dance floor. "Ready?" :: Looks at Shorty ::  
  
"Ready!" Shorty announced. :: Looks a Kitty-N ::  
  
"All set!" Kitty-N said while smiling. :: Looks at Heat ::  
  
"You know it!" Heat proclaimed  
  
"Okay if all four of you beat all four of us, we'll tell you where to find Comet, but if just one of you lose, you have to leave us alone and pretend that none of this ever happened and that you didn't see anything, okay!?"  
  
"No prob, no doubt we can beat all of you low-lives!" Heat insulted.  
  
"Haha, "Strike said sarcastically, "Shorty, Mitsuki, you're up first. Shorty and Mitsuki both stepped onto the dance floor and did their warm- ups. Shorty hops a few times and waves, and Mitsuki does a few high kicks.  
  
The music starts, "Oh, I'm missing you, wanna see you everyday." Shorty dancing casually, doing her beginning moves and Mitsuki doing hers. About thirty-second into the song, Mitsuki comes in with her attack and Columbo, being the smart mouse he is, warns Shorty by biting her ear, when Shorty looked up, saw a human sized dart board coming towards her and saw Mitsuki with darts in her hands ready to chuck them at Shorty. Shorty ducked down into her counter pose and countered, suddenly the dartboard appeared behind Mitsuki and strapped itself to her. And the darts that were in here hand disappeared and reappeared in Shorty's. Shorty just threw them at Mitsuki, purposely missing, just to scare her. That attack ended up costing Mitsuki her second solo. Shorty danced out two super solo, and won the first dancing round.  
  
"That's one for team "Bust A Groove" and zero for us." Strike said angrily. "Next up, Heat and Hayato. Ready!?"  
  
"Oh yeah!" Heat said while lighting himself on fire.  
  
"Uh-huh" Hayato said in a low voice, "Now were dancing to my song, "Drop the bomb." And by the way you have no chance."  
  
"Like that's gonna be enough to stop me." Heat said to himself quietly. And with that Heat and Hayato entered the dance floor.  
  
"The music starts, "Hayato." Heat and Hayato are doing their beginning moves but suddenly Hayato accidentally messes up, and trips, as Heat is performing his ending dance move and poses. To catch up to Heat, Hayato decides to attack.  
  
"Now drop the bomb!" Hayato sang along to the song while summoning his attack. Heat started to break dance and didn't notice the bomb falling on him. The bomb fell on Heat, he was a bit shocked, not seeing it coming, but he gat back up after a few moments.  
  
Now Heat was fired up, he started doing some insane break dancing that on one had ever seen him do before. Later in the song, about five beats before the end of the song Heat attacked twice, summoning his fire dragon, startling Hayato. Heat posed his final pose of the song and won by a landslide.  
  
"Congratulations," Strike complimented, "but remember, that's only two out of four, and I still haven't danced yet!" :: Strike clapped his hands, once again :: A new dancing stage appeared. It was designed to look like a bank with a vault in the background. "For the last two competitions, we'll dance here. Is that okay with you, Kitty-N?" Strike asked curiously.  
  
"It's a lot better than the first stage, why wouldn't it be okay!?" Kitty-N asked and answered.  
  
"Okay, good, 'cause you and Isashi are next!" Kitty-N and Isashi entered the new dance floor, Isashi noticed that there was a Japanese tied up, standing against the back wall, near the vault.  
  
"What's up with the banker!?" Isashi asked Strike.  
  
"I hired him to kinda' just stand there and jump around, pretending that his bank is being robbed. Just a little something for more effect."  
  
"Oooook?" Kitty-N responded, confused. "Come on, let's get this over with already, we need to find Comet!"  
  
"Hold your kittens, lemme' get the music," Strike complied. "Since the last song is gonna be chosen by your team, I'm gonna pick this one. You two are gonna dance to, one of my personal faves, "Power," here it goes." Strike warned  
  
The song began, "Hey! Whose got the power!?" Kitty-N being the generous person she is, wasn't about to attack, she decided that she was going to win this with skill, and whether or not is was a fortunate thing, Isashi felt the same way or so she said.  
  
Kitty-N and Isashi both started dealing out their normal beginning moves, but with a little something extra that everyone else didn't. When the first solo first solo came up in the song, Kitty-N dealt out some new dance moves that she had been working on, Isashi hadn't worked on anything new recently, so she just free-styled her solo and nearly caught up to Kitty-N. They were neck and neck  
  
Between solos Kitty-N tripped on the first beat, putting Isashi ahead but not by much. After Isashi finished her chillin move, she messed up and had to start back from the beginning, putting Kitty-N back in the lead.  
  
When the second and last solo started, Isashi was up first; she just danced her usual, strong solo moves, hoping she could catch up with Kitty-N with that, Kitty-N, who was second, came out with just her simple solo, knowing that with only that, she could still win the competition.  
  
At the end of the solos, there were only a few dance beats left. Isashi decided that the only way she could win was to attack, and so she did. She magically pulled out her whip out of nowhere and aimed for Kitty- N's ankles, hoping to knock her over. Good thing Kitty-N was expecting this and dodged Isashi's whip. And again Team Bust A Groove won another part of the competition.  
  
"Congratulations, Kitty-N." Strike sighed. "That three for team Bust A Groove and still zero for us" Strike sighed. "That's okay though, there's no chance a rat …."  
  
"MOUSE!!!" Shorty yelled.  
  
"… mouse … can beat me!" Strike said in a very cocky way.  
  
"We'll see 'bout that, won't we, Columbo?" Shorty whispered. Columbo nodded, smiling.  
  
"Next and last up Columbo and ME!" Strike announced for the last time.  
  
"Are you sure Columbo can do this!?" Heat asked Shorty  
  
"He's right, how do you teach a mouse how to dance!?" Kitty-N agreed.  
  
"Don't worry 'bout it!" Shorty scolded, "He can beat Strike and we'll get Comet back."  
  
"Okay?" Kitty-N and Heat said trustingly.  
  
"Go ahead Columbo, step onto the dance floor, you can do it, use those moves I taught you, k?" Shorty encouraged. Columbo just nodded, squeaked, and smiled.  
  
Both Columbo and Strike entered the dance floor. The music started, Any beat is fine with me, if I'm with my EZMouse. Strike barley started dancing, like it didn't matter, thinking he could win this even if he was completely tied up, blind and crippled, But Columbo was totally bringing down the house. He was doing better than everyone else ever did. He even got two freezes poses in before the first solo.  
  
Right before the first solo came up Columbo attacked Strike, a big Jell-O mold fell on Strike, momentarily disorienting him and stealing his solo. Everyone, except Shorty was very shocked. For the first part of his now two-part solo, Columbo just did a normal dance routine, saving the best for last. When he got to his second-part of his solo, Columbo kicked out a super solo, again knocking Strike way behind.  
  
When the solo ended, Strike finally realized why Shorty agreed to let Columbo dance. He had skill and strategy. Suddenly Strike started dancing a whole lot better, but still was nowhere near Columbo's score.  
  
In between solos, Strike attacked, hoping to catch up with Columbo. Columbo saw the bullets, kneeled down into his counter pose and countered. Strikes bullets came flying back at him, knocking him over. Strike got up just as Columbo hit another Freeze pose.  
  
"Your doin' awesome!" Shorty cheered.  
  
"Columbo CAN dance!" Heat said amazedly.  
  
Shorty replied, "Ummmm … Duh!"  
  
"He's a mouse, how would I have ever guessed!?" Heat demanded  
  
"That's what you get for net listening to me … " Shorty hissed.  
  
As the dance off continued, Strike started to catch up with some of his best, old dance moves mixed with some new moves. As both Columbo and Strike were dancing their hearts out they both decided to attack. Columbo bowed down, releasing his atomic Jell-O onto Strike. At the same time Strike was pulling out his two revolvers and aimed for Columbo. Each one was successfully attacked, both falling over.  
  
When they both recovered, just a few beats from the second solo they did anything they could do to do better than their opponent. The second solo eventually arrived, this time Strike went first. Strike danced out two super solos actually catching up to Columbo and passing him but by very little. Columbo just danced out two normal solos while smiling, knowing that even with this little routine he could and would win. Columbo obviously got distracted, and fell flat on his little mouse butt.  
  
At the end of the solos, just a few beats before the end of the song, Columbo used to off his best dance moves that he had been working on, not what shorty had been teaching him. And as he was doing it each team was very tense, everything riding on these two little dance moves. The Bust A Groove team hoping he would get it and Notorious hoping he would fall. Columbo not willing to give up, did even better than what he was supposed to and finished with two finishing moves to secure his winning.  
  
The song ended, Strike being more mad than he had ever been before, losing everything, Comet, the tool to he need to take over society, his dream, which just shattered before his eyes, because of his own ignorance.  
  
"Now that we all beat you, Strike, tell us where comet is." Kitty-N demanded.  
  
"You think I'm gonna tell you, just because you can dance better then we can!?" Strike refused.  
  
"No," Shorty answered, "and because you lost to a mouse, how do you feel!?"  
  
"Ha ha," Strike said sarcastically. "Were not telling you!,"  
  
"Strike!, we lost, tell them where the girl is!" Isashi yelled  
  
"What!? Whose side are you on!?" Strike tried intimidating her.  
  
"If you won't then I will … "  
  
"How?, You don't know were she is!"  
  
"Yes I do, I over-heard you talking to Pinky when I came to tell you our plan"  
  
" I'm screwed" Strike said to himself. "Fine, tell them." And in another puff of smoke, Strike was gone, never to be seen again. Isashi feeling guilty about what they had all done, confessed everything. After it was all confessed, Shorty and the other two went to go rescue Comet. Comet was fine, she just needed to rest a bit. The rest of Notorious eventually all dispatched, knowing all along that it was only Strike forcing them to stay.  
  
Everything seemed fine and that they would all live happily ever after, but Strike was still out there.  
  
Months later, the press got a hold of the story and interviewed Shorty. Of course she told everything, and especially elaborated about Columbo's Dance tournament, which saved Comet's life. From then on, Columbo was known forever as proof that anyone and anything can make a big difference, no matter how small they are.  
  
The End – Was it THAT bad!? 


End file.
